


Maybe That´s Why We Try

by Noducksinpond



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Season 3 Finale, Spoilers up until 3x16
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-18
Updated: 2017-03-18
Packaged: 2018-10-07 09:54:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10357734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Noducksinpond/pseuds/Noducksinpond
Summary: "Dad, where is Barry?" Iris repeated her question, this time a little louder, more stubbornly. She swallowed trying not to cry again. This couldn´t be happening. "Please-" Iris finished, her voice small again.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally even angstier than it ended up being. But then I thought to myself, the show is being mean enough already, so maybe just this once, let´s not. I hope you enjoy the fic.

"Where´s Barry?" The question is just a whisper, but it still broke the deafening silence. Iris could feel the hand that was holding the phone, shaking. She let out a quiet, shuddering breath, trying to process everything that had just happened in her head. There was a noise on the other end of the line, but it was almost like her dad didn´t want to say anything. "Dad, where is Barry?" Iris repeated her question, this time a little louder, more stubbornly. She swallowed trying not to cry again. This couldn´t be happening. "Please-" Iris finished, her voice small again.

"Iris-" Joe began, and there was something defeated about his voice, that immediately completely deflated her. Something that made her want to crumble to the ground, or scream because of how unfair it was. Her dad had paused, possibly not quite sure about how to continue. "Wally´s going to come get you as soon as he gets the last of those metahumans Alchemy created downtown. Just stay on the phone."

Then there is nothing. Nothing but just standing there, feeling like the world has ended, even though it hasn´t, because Savitar is gone, and she´s still here. They saved the day, and everything is the way it´s supposed to be. Except, it´s not because none of them know where Barry is. Something chokes in Iris´ throat. It´s probably a sob. "He´s going to be okay, honey," her dad told her. She knows he´s just trying to help, but she really isn´t sure, that it actually is helping.

"You don´t know that," Iris said quietly, her throat impossibly dry. It felt like she could barely talk. She started moving slowly towards a building. It sounded like her dad was almost going to protest, but Iris cut him off. "Dad, you don´t know that," Iris repeated.

There was a couple of moments of silence, where Iris just walked, slow and wobbly movements. She still felt shaken by the whole thing. Almost dying. Barry fighting Savitar. Barry´s suddenly seeming to disappear into thin air. At one point, she was going to have to process this whole thing. That moment wasn´t now. Her dad didn´t say anything, and neither did she. Iris tried to take a deep breath, that came out shallow instead.

Then there was a sudden noise, which made Iris practically jump out of her skin. For a second, she thought it was Wally, finished rounding up the remaining metas faster, than she had thought. Or maybe just someone completely oblivious to all of this. Although it only took her about a second to realize, who it actually was. "Barry!" Her dad said something on the phone, which Iris couldn´t decipher. "Dad, it´s Barry, he´s okay."

"You´re sure?" Joe asked her, and she could hear the hopeful tone in her dad´s voice. Cisco was saying something in the background, which Iris couldn´t quite make out. "Iris, you´re sure?" her dad asked again.

"Yes," Iris said, everything inside her suddenly feeling fluttery, and light and happy. "I´m sure, dad," she continued, before hanging up the phone again.

Then she ran towards him, faster than she would have thought possible, given how shaken she still felt. Barry met her halfway, stumbling backwards half a step, when Iris practically crashed against him, wrapping her arms around him, not intending to let go. Not anytime soon. Barry pressed his face into her hair, and Iris could feel he was shaking. "You´re okay," he whispered, quiet and hoarse. "You´re okay. You´re okay."

"Yeah," Iris replied, her voice thick and her eyes watering, she pulled away from him slightly, so she could look into his eyes. There was a smile on his face, that was so beautiful and warm, it could have warmed her up like the sun. She leant her forehead against his, his smile infectious. "You saved me."

"But don´t you dare, ever scare me like that again," Iris whispered softly. He had his arms wrapped around her, one hand brushing up and down her back. Neither of them opened their eyes, but Barry nodded quietly. Iris cupped his chin in her hand, and brushed her fingers against the part of his face, which wasn´t covered by the mask.

"I won´t," he replied in the same quiet tone. He took a deep breath, and both of them opened their eyes to look at each other again. Iris moved her other hand to his face as well, cupping his chin in both her hands. There were burn marks on his face, even if they were sort of hidden by the cowl, and something twisted in Iris´ stomach. "I promise you."

"I´m holding you to that," Iris retorted, trying to keep the small smile on her face. She pulled his cowl down, his hair was a mess. There was a black eye, and a couple of burns. Something inside Iris sunk. Barry bent his head down to kiss her, his lips pressing softly against hers at first. Iris angled her head slightly, and his mouth opened, kissing her harder, deeper. She buried her fingers in his hair, pulling him closer to her.

Iris realized how much she´d missed him. She wasn´t just glad, he was alive, although that was a pretty big part of it. But there had been so much tension and distance between them, before Savitar. Where things weren´t entirely like they were supposed to be. That was on both of them, she knew that. But right now, she didn´t care about that. She was just glad, he was here, and they were just Barry and Iris, and they could just be happy.

They pulled away from each other after a long moment, and Iris couldn´t help but smile at the way, Barry´s mouth practically trailed after hers. She brushed her fingers against his cheek, barely missing the burn mark. "We need to get you back to Star Labs," she said quietly. "You´re hurt."

"I know," Barry said with the same quiet tone, his voice a little less hoarse now. He looked tired still, practically exhausted. He tilted his head slightly, and met her eyes. There was a small soft smile on his face, barely there, but warm. "I just really wanted to kiss you."

"Me too," Iris replied with a small giggle, before leaning in and doing exactly that another time. It was hard to describe the kind of happy feeling, which was bubbling deep in her chest.


End file.
